1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a low insertion force connector in which a division connector, mounted on one connector, and the one connector are fitted in the other connector in a staged manner, thereby reducing a connector insertion force.
2. Related Art
FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional low insertion force connector.
The low insertion force connector 40 comprises a connector 42 for mounting on a door of-an automobile, in which connector a division connector 41 is mounted for sliding movement in a connector fitting direction, and a connector 45 for mounting on a body which connector includes a connection portion 43 for the division connector 41 and a connection portion 44 for the door-side connector 42.
The division connector 41 has an engagement projection 49 engaged with a lock portion 48 over a predetermined range which lock portion is provided in a through hole 47 in a door-side connector housing 46, and this division connector is slidable in the through hole 47. A front end portion 50 of the division connector is projected from a front end of the housing 46, and its rear end portion 51 is projected from a rear end of the housing 46.
The division connector 41 is pressed through a waterproof grommet 52 of the door-side connector 42, and is fitted on one connection portion 43 of the body-side connector 45. Then, the door-side connector 42 is pressed to cause a remaining connection portion 53 to fit on the other connection portion 44. Thus, the fitting of the connector is effected twice in a divided manner, that is, in stages, and therefore the connector insertion force becomes half, and the fitting operation is facilitated.
However, in the above conventional construction, the rear end portion 51 of the division connector 41 is covered with the grommet 52, and can not be viewed, and therefore the fitting operation between the division connector 41 and the body-side connector 45 can not be carried out easily. If the operator does not press the division connector 41, the division connector 41 slides toward the grommet 52, and the division connector 41 and the remaining connection portion 53 are not simultaneously fitted relative to the body-side connector 45, which results in a drawback that the low insertion force connector fails to perform its function.